New Mexico Mom Arrested for Giving 13-Year-Old Daughter Marijuana Edibles to Help Anxiety

A New Mexico mom was arrested on Tuesday for giving her 13-year-old daughter marijuana edibles to help with her anxiety. Sylvia A. Rubio, 38, is facing charges of child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and distribution of marijuana to a minor.

Teen Brings Weed to School…Principal Calls Child Protective Services

Last November, Rubio’s daughter received a criminal complaint for allegedly bringing cannabis and cannabis-infused chocolates to school. According to the Las Cruces Sun-News, the school principal contacted Child Protective Services, which eventually led to Rubio’s recent arrest.

Rubio is a licensed medical marijuana patient in the state of New Mexico. She also has a personal production license. This allows New Mexico medical marijuana patients to cultivate four (4) mature cannabis plants and have 12 immature plants at a time.

When she was questioned about her daughter’s cannabis possession, Rubio informed law officers that after speaking with her naturopath doctor, he recommended Rubio give her daughter cannabis-infused candy to help with her anxiety.

Rubio admitted to giving her daughter cannabis gummies but says she did not give her the cannabis-infused chocolates. New Mexico law states however, that a licensed producer who sells, distributes, dispenses, or transfers medical marijuana to a person that isn’t approved by the department is in a violation of federal law and subject to arrest.

Rubio is currently being held without bond at Dona Ana County Detention Center in Las Cruces.

While medical marijuana has been shown to be beneficial for anxiety, it is still illegal to give it to a minor. Meanwhile, it’s estimated there are over one million 13-17-year-olds that are prescribed anti-anxiety medication.

Should Medication Choices Be Left to Parents?

Under New Mexico law, minors are allowed to register for medical marijuana under a licensed caregiver. If Rubio would have registered her daughter before giving her the marijuana gummies, the charges she is currently facing would not have been as harsh.

Unfortunately, this mother and daughter are currently separated. And Rubio is facing serious criminal charges.

Do you think parents should be able to make the decision to medicate their children with marijuana? And how do you feel about parents being locked up for trying to help their kids by giving them cannabis? We’d love to hear about your thoughts in the comments below.

Jen Keehn is a Colorado-based writer intent on inspiring others to live their best lives. She writes regularly about medical and recreational cannabis, holistic health, addiction, and psychedelic therapy.